Fourteenth Amendment

Definition

The Fourteenth Amendment is a part of the U.S. Constitution that was ratified in 1868. It grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, and guarantees all citizens "equal protection of the laws."

Related terms

Citizenship Clause: This clause in the Fourteenth Amendment establishes broad-based U.S. citizenship by granting it to any person born or naturalized within American territory.

Equal Protection Clause: A part of the Fourteenth Amendment that prohibits states from denying any person within its jurisdiction equal protection under the law.

Reconstruction Era: The period after the Civil War during which Southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the Union; during this time, amendments like the 14th were passed to protect rights of former slaves.